A pair of Elk Catholic players who helped the Crusaders make the District 9 Class A title game this season headline this week’s Big 30 Charities Classic roster additions.
Running back Jared Braun, a 5-9, 175-pound played running back and wide receiver on offense while manning the secondary on defense. Braun was a captain, Allegheny Mountain League all-star and a member of the Crusaders’ basketball team, which went 56-2 over the last two seasons and won back-to-back D-9 championships.
He had the best game of his career as a senior against Bradford High when the 1991-92 Crusader team his father played on was honored. In the classroom, he is a member of the National Honor Society and a member of student council.
He looks forward to representing his school, community and state in the game. Braun plans to attend a four-year college to pursue a degree in accounting.
Nate DaCanal quarterbacked the Crusaders and was previously named offensive team MVP. His most memorable moment was beating Clarion-Limestone in the D-9 playoffs to advance to the championship game.
On the basketball hardwood, DaCanal is a two-time AML all-star, garnered rookie of the year honors from D9Sports.com and the Tri-County Sunday. He finished his high-school career with two district titles, 1,207 career points and is the fourth all-time leading scorer in school history.
Both his father and uncle played in the game and he’s looking forward to playing one last time with teammates.
DaCanal will continue his education at Juniata College to study business management and accounting. He will also be on the men’s basketball team.
Rounding out the Pennsylvania roster additions are Cameron Retterer and Gabe Donato from Sheffield.
Retterer is a 5-11, 250-pound lineman who’s most memorable moment playing football was his last game wearing a Wolverine jersey and scoring a touchdown in the team’s 54-14 win over Youngsville. He was named lineman of the year and is president of the Varsity Club.
Retterer is “honored to play in the Big 30 Charities Classic and is looking forward to playing with some of the best players in the state.” He plans to pursue a collegiate degree in communications.
Donato is a 6-0, 210-pound lineman and three-time letterman whose most memorable moment playing football was beating Youngsville last fall. He is looking forward to playing in the Big 30 game and fulfilling his dream of playing in the game with his fellow seniors. A fan of the Buffalo Bills and the Texans’ J.J. Watt, is undecided about his future plans.
Additions to the New York roster include Southwestern’s Chris Johnson, Frewsburg’s trio of Cordell O’Brien, Caleb Caldwell and Jarod Sanfilippo.
Johnson is a 5-11, 238-pound lineman who was named all-league and a part of Frewsburg’s league championship team last fall in which the team rebounded from a 3-5 2015 season to go 9-2 in 2016.
Johnson is excited to play the game one more time at a high level. In the classroom, Johnson is the NHS secretary and is a former class president.
He was named all-state, all-region and all-county in choir. He will attend college to major in statistics and communications while attempting to walk-on the football team.
O’Brien is a 6-3, 195-pound wide receiver and defensive back who will attend Mercyhurst University to continue his academic and athletic careers. He is a first-team all-state receiver after being tabbed a second-teamer in 2015, while also making an honorable mention All-Western New York list.
His favorite memory is scoring a touchdown at New Era Field his freshman year and he is looking forward to playing football with some of the best players in Western New York.
Caldwell is a 6-2, 185-pound receiver who will attend Fredonia University to major in business administration and play baseball for the Blue Devils. He was named honorable mention all-state for football and baseball, as well as being a scholar athlete during all four years of high school.
Caldwell will be the third member of his family to play in the Big 30 game, joining his two older brothers. The Buffalo Bills fan’s most memorable moment came when he scored his first varsity touchdown.
Sanfilippo is a 6-1, 195-pound lineman who is looking forward to playing one last game of football. An Eagle Scout, Sanfilippo plans on attending college then working in his father’s business.
His most memorable moments playing football were his three years playing in the playoffs at New Era Field.
These additions bring the roster to 57 players named to the game: 29 to the New York roster and 28 to the Pennsylvania squad. When the teams are filled, they will number 40-some players each. A series of 11 practices will begin on July 20 in preparation for the game.
This year’s game will be played at 7 p.m. Aug. 5 at Bradford High’s Parkway Field.
For more information on the Classic, visit www.Big 30 football.org.
